Blink³

Inspiration

Blink³ was inspired by abstract puzzle games with an interesting twist. Traditionally, such games were limited to 2D and occasionally, 3D. With Blink³, we brought the user into the world with a multitude of different technologies. We were inspired to not only use existing hardware, but build our own to enhance this VR experience.

How it works

Blink³ was created utilizing the Unity3D game engine and Oculus Rift, with art done in Photoshop and Autodesk Maya. Our custom hardware utilized Arduino and Unity3D interfacing. The game was programmed in C# and C++, and by utilizing a variety of technologies we were able to create the beautiful atmosphere of Blink³. It features a custom shader, custom hardware, custom API for that hardware, and models/music/art all made during the event.

Challenges I ran into

We had some difficulties setting up the Oculus Rift and Arduino in cross OS environments. Additionally, building the Oculus Rift wind machine was difficult with very limited resources.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

We are proud of the graphical beauty and polished gameplay of Blink³. This took lots of work and effort from our designers and programmers, and how we all worked together to make one product was amazing.

What I learned

We learned how to expand the capabilities of Unity3D to other hardware and how to pack and finish a polished game.

What's next for Blink³

Blink³ is far from finished, as we can expand its gameplay with several more levels and features. These will be coming soon in an update!

Built With

Submitted to

Created by

Contributed to construction of base game mechanics including jumping, moving, and physics modifiers like bounce pads, portals and spikes. Designed levels to somewhat cohere to the difficulty curve of the game.

I worked on some of the shader code (GPU programming) for both simple and complicated shader effects. Most notably, I created an illusory effect in the tutorial level using the stencil buffer, and I used a more complicated shader for the mechanic in the final level. I also did some level design, all UI design, (both in-game and in the main menu), and I wrote the module that sends data to the arduino top hat system. I also advised other team members on what to do using my knowledge of Unity and Electrical Engineering.